Marathon Aftermath and Virtual Race Report

It's been a week since my first marathon, and I'm still glowing a little :) I am no longer sore, and I'm ready to get back to training for my next adventure. I've applied for the NYC Marathon lottery, and am seriously considering the Flying Pig Marathon in May. You'd think after conquering something like this, I'd be ready for a break from running or at least the early morning Saturday runs, but I truly can't imagine not having running in my life. I'm so grateful for that.

Here's an overview of my post-marathon week:

Sunday - after I crossed the finish line, I kept walking to the food line and beer garden (for Sean, but they ran out just as I got to the front of the line) then to the parking garage to drive to the hotel. After showering, we went to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch. We drove home, posted our race reports and photos, then went to Texas de Brazil for a celebratory feast, then to bed early.

Monday - took the day off from work and had a day full of relaxation that began with a couple's massage at Massage Engy, followed by comfort food at Jason's Deli, then a short nap, then a short walk around Lake Eola. I was pretty sore and that walk was slow and painful.

Tuesday - It finally caught up to me and I got sick, so I stayed home in bed all day. I slept most of the day and was better by dinner, so went for another short walk with Jason after dinner. I was not as sore as Monday, so this walk was a lot more enjoyable and a bit faster.

Wednesday - I started the day with an hour of yoga. I felt much better all day and barely sore, so attempted my first run in the afternoon. I kept it short, slow and with plenty of walking: 2 miles at 1:1 in 29 minutes.

Thursday - Soreness is a thing of the past, but I can't seem to wake up at my usual 6 am. I hate sleeping late because then I wake up with a headache, but I figured I'd indulge my body this week. After work, ran with our corporate 5k team. 1.6 miles in 21 minutes @ 13:07 pace -- 2 rounds of 90s run/90s walk/3m run/3m walk + an extra 3 minute run at the end. Legs felt great!

Friday - Was going to do yoga before work, but slept in again. I figured that was best since I planned to get up early on Saturday for a "long" run.

Saturday - Met my Galloway group for 6 miles at 6 am -- my first long run since the marathon. Ran a total of 6.66 miles easy using 1:1. The run felt great and legs held up fine. I really think walking every day for the first few days, and the massage really helped speed up my recovery. I followed the run with "The Eleven" - 55 push ups and crunches (11 push ups + 1 situp, then 10 push ups + 2 situps, etc). I also rode 18.5 miles that afternoon, and walked a few miles that night to get some yogurt.

Virtual Race Report
Sunday's run was also my attempt at Razz's Virtual Race "Global Warming, My Ass!* 6.66 Mile Run." I ran 6.66 miles in 1:28 and felt good. Since this was 1 week post-marathon, I didn't have any goals for this race except to get it done. It was a pretty chilly morning, so it was an appropriate day to run this race. I started at 6 am and went out for 6 miles at 1:1 with my Galloway group. The first 6 miles of the course was an out and back from Glenridge Middle School to Brandiwines in downtown Winter Park, then I finished the .66 miles with few laps on the track. I took it nice and easy, but I tried to push it a little at the end. A 13:14 min/mile pace is not award winning, but maybe I can place in the bottom 3. I was just glad to be recovered enough to be able to cover this distance at any pace. Next week I tackle the Winter Park Road Race distance dare: 2 miles followed by a 10K. Hopefully I can do a little better then.